55 replies to this topic

[ms_amos]

Hi everyone,
I am creating this thread to store the links for the video tutorials that we have created for getting animations, characters and props into Moviestorm.
As you may have guessed, due to the image quality that we need to show you how this works, we were unable to use YouTube, Vimeo, etc. to host the videos. It is my plan to upload them to our server and add the links to this thread as they are completed.
Please check back over the next few days and the videos should become available around the time that you receive your instructions for downloading the skeleton files.
All the best,
Amos

First two movies:
Moviestorm Character Modding - Gestures
Moviestorm Character Modding - Held Props
and three more...
Moviestorm Character Modding - Accessories
Moviestorm Character Modding - Animations
Moviestorm Character Modding - Costumes

Please note that these last 3 videos do have some compression artifacts that I haven't manged to get rid of. If I find a solution to this, I will update the links.

[lucindamc123]

Wonderful, I am looking forward to it. 3ds Max 11 is arriving today. I think I like making animated characters more than making movies.

[ms_amos]

Quick post to say that the first two videos are now available. 3 more to follow.

[andy_price]

This looks great, looks like i will have to get back into useing 3dmax

[tree]

Hi everyone,
--------
First two movies:
Moviestorm Character Modding - Gestures
Moviestorm Character Modding - Held Props

First, this is great. Thank you for taking the time and energy for doing this.

Great Tutorials, though it would be also helpful to have the source files used within the Tutorials, like the gesture and the ball Max files.
biped T-pose, Base Pose, Postures and collections etc. will be very helpful too; for blending my own animations in with what is 'standard' at shortFuse HQ.
Please include those biped posture collections too, otherwise animations are going to pop and snap all over the place.

The text is a bit fussy to read (blurry on screen) but still readable; would have been great to have something close to 1080p res to read text well, if possible...

looking forward to next few tutorials and accompanying files.

[Chris Ollis]

At the moment as the accompanying Email says we're more concerned with documentation of other applications than people simply doing what we can already do in the office. That way it's a nice level playing field when we make all the files available to everyone.

The T-Pose and Base pose are included if you are familiar with Character Studio - we are currently hoping to avoid writing Autodesk's documentation but appreciate some pointers will be required eventually.
We haven't included more at this stage because its difficult to decide where to stop and we can't find some of the older more obscure poses anymore

If you can suggest any way to get the video files better (codecs you use and best software) that would be helpful, Amos has had a nightmare with failing Camtasia files.

[primaveranz]

Quick post to say that the first two videos are now available. 3 more to follow.

Thanks Amos they are great.

[ms_amos]

Great Tutorials, though it would be also helpful to have the source files used within the Tutorials, like the gesture and the ball Max files.
biped T-pose, Base Pose, Postures and collections etc. will be very helpful too; for blending my own animations in with what is 'standard' at shortFuse HQ.
Please include those biped posture collections too, otherwise animations are going to pop and snap all over the place.

The text is a bit fussy to read (blurry on screen) but still readable; would have been great to have something close to 1080p res to read text well, if possible...

Thanks for the quick feedback. I'll attach the source files to my post so that you have them for reference.
Sorry about the text in the videos, I had to scale the movie down from 1680x1050 and that has obviously affected quality, in hindsight I should have followed Chris' method and resized my desktop for the tutorials.

Attached Files

•  Gesture.zip   371.78KB   62 downloads
•  HeldProp.zip   368.52KB   51 downloads

[ms_amos]

Ok, I have now added 3 more tutorials to the original post.
As Chris has mentioned, there have been a few problems with the Camtasia files not being read correctly by Premiere, which has introduced a load of compression artifacts in the last three videos. I'm hoping that you will still be able to see what Chris is doing for the most part, and I'm still looking for a solution to try and make the videos better. I'll update the thread if I find a solution.

[PapaG]

When Will the Skeleton file be made public?
Second Question Where do I get the Cal 3d Exporter for Max? any one with a site link?
I am using Max 2009 32bit

[ms_amos]

We're hoping to get them out at the end of the month, but it depends on how much documentation we can get together from the first group of testers.

[Mneros]

If you can suggest any way to get the video files better (codecs you use and best software) that would be helpful, Amos has had a nightmare with failing Camtasia files.

I thought the quality was good, and way better then other tuts. out there. however I do have some good Codec advice....

For my last film i used an H.264 codec and it turned out perfect. If you have Adobe Premiere CS5. there is a H.264 preset labeled Apple TV 720. or 480. Use that. If u dont have access to that Preset the settings of the Codec are as fallows...

Codec: MainConcept H.264 Video
TV Standard: NTSC
Frame Size: 1280x720
Frame Rate: 23.976... I always change this to 25 FPS
Pixel Aspect Ratio: Square Pixels
Field Order: None (progressive)
Profile: Main
Level: 3.1

Bitrate Info

VBR, 1 Pass
Target 5 Mbps
Max 7 Mbps

and then if an option per your rendering Program

Multiplexer
Multiplexing: mp4
Stream Compatibility: Standard

This will yield a larger file size. But for a tut. I think it is worth getting the best out of video quality enough to see the Text clearer. How much bigger? well a 5 min Video captured at 1920 and compressed to 1280 will come to around 200 MB. And that reminds me always Capture in the Highest res possible.
1920 to 1280 = better then 1280 to a 1280. Even a 1680x1050 to 1280 = better then 1280 to 1280

hope that helps if it does then I will post this else ware for others to benefit.

if using Camtasia try saving uncompressed .AVI. Then Use another editing program to get H.264. The H.264 options in Camtasia (I have Camtasia 6) are very limited. Sony Vega might have better H.264 options.

I tested uncompressed .AVI 1920x1080 out of Camtasia. to premiere cs5, rendered out as H.264 (mp4) at 1280x720 and it worked well.

hope that helps MS_amos

[luxaeternam]

I've had some luck following Reacher's tutorial and got animations working and exported out of Misfit.
Inside the modder's workshop the prop appears, and I go through the steps for the prop animations without encountering any weirdness. However, when I get to dealing with the puppet animations, no puppet appears.
Any ideas on what might be wrong?

[ms_amos]

Hi Mneros,
Thanks for the guide for getting better quality out of Premiere, I will revisit the tutorials and see if I can get a better result from the source footage.
Thanks again,
Amos

[PapaG]

Using you tutorial "Moviestorm Character Modding - Held Props", (ignoring the animation part cause I don't have the skeleton yet But Rather paying close attention to the Cal3d Exporter part to export the mesh of the Ball into MS) I ran into a problem (i Think the problem lies with in the Cal3D plugin i found on the net)

in the past I have Used nbConv to Import a 3DS file Exported from max into MS,
so Trying to make a Tea cup that can be Hand held Using the Cal3D exporter to Export a Cal3d Mesh (I have made working hand held pros before using nbConv)
I Used Mug01.cfs File From "C:\Program Files (x86)\Moviestorm\AddOn\DomesticDrama01\Data\Props\Mug" as the bone for export, @ step 2 of 4 after setting the Maximum number of bones influencing 1mesh vertex form 999 to 1 upon clicking next I get this horrible nasty error message

"No meshes were selected for export!
(\Documents and Settings\farshid\Desktop\svn_dev\modelexporters\trunk\cal3d\plugins'118)"

so where can I get a working version of the Cal3d Plug in? cause I am a Win7 user I dont even have "Documents and Settings" folder cause in Win7 it's called Users

If any one has got a link for a Working version of the cal3d importer for 3DSmax 2009 hook me up!

[Nahton]

Hey PG

I don't have 3DS but I've seen a similar error in Milkshape and it can happen if you don't click on the file in the window to actually select it. I've done it a bunch of times myself.

I'm not saying that is the problem because you can get the message for other reasons but you might want to double check your steps. From what I've seen of Amos's tutorial they are very similar function wise and especially in the exporting of files.

When you say "cal3d importer for 3DSmax" do you actually mean "cal3d exporter"? I've been told there is no application for taking CAL3D files and importing them into 3DSMax.

Nahton

[rampa]

You could download Misfit Model 3D and get the skeletons yourself out of the core addon, or just download the already extracted version here that will work in Milkshape, and any useful thing it might export.

http://www.moviestor...misfit skeleton

Scroll down to post 17 for the download link.

[PapaG]

You could download Misfit Model 3D and get the skeletons yourself out of the core addon, or just download the already extracted version here that will work in Milkshape, and any useful thing it might export.

http://www.moviestor...misfit skeleton

Scroll down to post 17 for the download link.

as I try too teach my self new programs I really don't want to add "Misfit Model 3D" too the list I still want want learn how to use Milk Shape cause Chris wrote that tutorial, but warping my brain around the mere basics of blender and and 3ds Max, has my mind melded and I still dont Know either of them that well and I scream at the horror of your suggestion

But Tanks

[Nahton]

So why don't you have the skeletons? It seems to me you would be a prime candidate to work with them since you have 3DS Max and have done your own handheld props already.

Did you not appy for access via this thread?

Beta Testers

[PapaG]

So why don't you have the skeletons? It seems to me you would be a prime candidate to work with them since you have 3DS Max and have done your own handheld props already.

Did you not appy for access via this thread?

Beta Testers

My Life got Hectic And was Just not around when the call for beta testers went out I'd say I was away from the community for about three months when I came back I did noticed this thread and applied but I think i was too late.